We like to offer special treats to our LynnValleyLife Network members whenever we can. So we’re delighted to announce a special, LynnValleyLife-only reception at which our members will be amongst the very first to experience a brand-new neighbourhood just down the hill – before it’s even built! Having the chance to visit the new Seylynn Village development before the general public brings some other bonuses as well – from preferred pricing to the widest selection of suites.
There’s always something new to look forward to at Lynn Valley Days, and 2013 will be no exception!
For starters, we want to give a big community thank-you to William F. White International, which is sponsoring all of Lynn Valley Days’ cable and power needs. (And thank you to Lynn Valley’s Garin Josey, the William F. White VP who is making this happen for us!) Amongst other things, what this will mean is no more distressing generator failures, and a much better-balanced sound system at the sold-out Gala Dinner Dance. And if the weather cooperates, it will also mean some amazing light-up-the-sky special effects on Friday night!
It’s thanks to business sponsorships of all shapes and sizes that Lynn Valley Day has become the great event that it has. Please have a look at some of the other sponsors who stepped forward to support the community festival this year (list is not complete, we know more names are yet to be added!). But it’s not just businesses that make it happen – Lynn Valley Day is the result of months of hard work by host organizations Lynn Valley Lions and Lynn Valley Community Association, and many individual volunteers.
Shirin Ismail of the LVCA is once again coordinating volunteers, and would love people to step forward to offer just a couple of hours here or there. Whether you lean towards traffic control during parade time, staffing a ride on the midway or site clean-up, there is definitely a place for you to earn your karma points. The times and tasks, along with Shirin’s contact info, are listed here.
We’re definitely looking forward to watching people’s faces as they take in the new Euro-Bungee ride. Thrill-seekers will be strapped into this new attraction, then bounce on a trampoline that will shoot them 40 feet into the air – so hang onto your dentures!
People looking for more old-fashioned fun will once again be glad of the free games and races that the LynnValleyLife team will be organizing in its corner of the field. Egg-and-spoon, gunny sacks, three-legged races, ballon toss, the ever popular Hyak Rafting Super Soaker…. what more could you want for some good old family fun? (Well, if there IS something more, please tell us – it’s not too late to incorporate some other favourite races! Just email [email protected].)
Also new in our neck of the woods will be the chance to have your photo taken with our custom-painted Project Sunflower photo board (thank you, Julie Jay!) If you haven’t already picked up your free packet of seeds for Project Sunflower, please stop by and do so – we’re hoping to see hundreds of sunflowers blooming in the valley this summer!
Rain or shine, there will be something old and something new, something borrowed and …. oh, right, that’s weddings. But it holds true for Lynn Valley Days as well, and we know you’re not going to want to miss the Lions Cook Shack 7:30am Pancake Breakfast, the 10 a.m. parade, and all-day fun at the park. Keep our special Lynn Valley Days section handy so you’ll have access to all the entertainment schedules and other details as they are finalized!
This perspective on real estate investment is provided to readers by Mortgage Dave, a longtime Lynn Valley mortgage expert.
Given the North Shore’s high prices, current investors sometimes wonder if buying in North or West Vancouver can possibly provide a decent return. In fact, a well-thought-out real estate purchase can provide not only a decent return, but also one that’s far more lucrative than many current stock and mutual fund portfolios.
I decided to take a closer look at the new Seylynn Village development being offered by Denna Homes in the Lower Lynn District. The Beacon building will comprise the first stage of new development in an area that is ripe for change. Being situated close to transportation, recreation, the downtown bridge, and Capilano University, it promises to be attractive to renters in an area that is already one of Greater Vancouver’s strongest rental markets (North Vancouver has a current vacancy rate of 0.9%).
These spring landscape tips are provided by Lynn Valley local, Matt Boyd of Endless Summer Landscaping.
Are you looking forward to a beautiful, lush, green lawn this year, surrounded by attractive gardens and dotted with healthy trees? These top five spring landscaping tasks will ensure your lawn looks great. Review the list and hire a professional landscaper to get a jump on the season of outdoor living.
Spring Landscaping Task # 1 — Aerate the Lawn
This process involves special equipment that actually punches holes in your turf, creating air pockets to improve the health of soil and roots. Aeration is best done when the yard has dried out, and hiring a professional to do the job is a wise idea. DIY aerating machinery is expensive and difficult to handle – the pros can whip through this job in a few hours and give your lawn the leg up it needs.
Spring Landscaping Task # 2— Clean Out the Gardens
Many gardeners leave their plants in the fall, providing seed heads for winter birds and creating an attractive picture throughout the cold season. But when the weather turns in spring, your garden needs to be cleaned out and cleared up. Cut down the dead foliage and stalks from last season, composting all but the diseased plant material. Destroy any bugs, larvae and other pests you find and avoid turning the soil too much — that amount of disturbance can kill off nutrients in the upper layers of soil.
Spring Landscaping Task # 3— Prune Your Shrubs
Many shrubs and bushes can be pruned or trimmed in the spring to create an orderly, attractive landscape. Juniper, euonymus, forsythia and plenty of other shrubs need to be trimmed for good health and to avoid massive overgrowth. Use sharp pruning shears that have been well cleaned and be careful when handling tall shrubs.
Spring Landscaping Task # 4— Fertilize the Grass and Gardens
The first thing that people often think about in the spring is feeding their grass to get it growing healthy and green. But you should spend some time thinking about the ideal type of fertilizer for your property. Are chemical products the way to go, or can your grass thrive on compost or other natural fertilizers?
Spring Landscaping Task # 5— Plan for This Year’s Projects
Maybe this is the year you’ll have the deck or patio installed. Or perhaps it’s time for a fence or a fence replacement. Whether you’re considering a pool, hot tub, flagstone patio or storage shed, it’s best to start planning early. Contractor schedules get filled up quickly; the longer you wait to get moving on the project, the longer you’ll have to wait for installation. Contact a few local contractors and find out the scope and budget of your outdoor project.
This advice is provided to LynnValleyLife readers courtesy of Mortgage Dave, a local mortgage expert and busy volunteer in our community.
One of the most important decisions when choosing a mortgage is whether to lock in a fixed interest rate or select a variable (floating) rate. With interest rates at historical lows, making the wrong decision could cost you thousands. Let’s look at the difference between the two types of rates, and how this choice might affect you.
With a fixed rate mortgage you “lock in” a predetermined interest rate for a set period of time (i.e., term). The most popular term these days is five years.
A fixed mortgage rate can give you a bit more comfort and security knowing exactly what your payments will be each month for the duration of your term. This makes financial planning and budgeting relatively easy.
The downside of a fixed rate is that if interest rates remain stable or fall during the term you will end up with higher payments than you’d experience with a variable rate mortgage.
Another consideration is that if you need to get out of a fixed rate mortgage before the term is up, you may have to pay a higher penalty. The penalty is typically the greater of either 1) three months’ interest, or 2) the interest rate differential (the difference between your fixed rate and the current market rate multiplied by the outstanding principal further multiplied by the remaining years of the term). Different banks calculate these penalties differently, so I would work with you to ensure the bank you choose matches your needs.
The payments on a variable rate mortgage fluctuate, based on the prime rate throughout the term that you have the mortgage.
Lenders offer the variable rate as a discount off the prime rate. Today the prime rate is at 3% and discounts on variables are around 0.40%, so a homeowner choosing this option will pay about 2.6%. However, your mortgage rate, and therefore your payments, will increase and decrease along with the prime rate. A great feature of a variable rate mortgage is that you can pay it off early with only a three-month interest penalty. The lenders cannot charge the dreaded interest rate differential on variable rate mortgages.
Since the prime rate can increase or decrease on a monthly basis, variable rates are not for the faint of heart. Anyone taking on a variable mortgage needs to be able to handle changes to their monthly payments not only financially, but psychologically as well. If the thought of paying an extra $200 per month in mortgage payments causes you to lose sleep, a variable rate may not be for you. I would work with you to manage this risk.
In the past there has been a huge discrepancy between fixed and variable rates. Five years ago fixed rates were around 4.8% and prime was around 4%. We had large discounts off prime of around 0.9% so you could get 3.1% variable vs. 4.8% fixed. Going with a variable rate was an easy choice for most people, especially if they thought that interest rates were moving downward in the coming years.
Today the best five-year fixed rate is around 2.89% and variables are around 2.6%, so the gap has reduced significantly. Prime has been around 3% for over 2 ½ years and most experts believe it will remain steady for some time, but that it will go up eventually.
If you are planning on moving in less than five years, a variable may be the best way to go. If you are staying put I would definitely look at a five-year fixed or even a 10-year fixed at a slightly higher rate. On 10-year terms the penalty to pay out after the fifth anniversary is only three months interest, so you get the best of both worlds — stability over a decade and the ability to renegotiate or payout in the last five years for a relatively low penalty.
Everyone’s situation is unique to them, and Mortgage Dave is here to provide a mortgage solution that is customized to meet your specific needs.
As always, I would be happy to review your personal situation and make my recommendations for you. Feel free to call me at 604-315-DAVE (3283) or email me at [email protected].
Last fall, Canada Safeway and Bosa Development sent North Vancouver District some preliminary applications for a newly imagined Lynn Valley Mall area. Their plans called for high-rise towers that got the ‘thumbs-up’ from some residents, but also resulted in an immediate outcry from many people who were concerned about traffic, densification and a change in neighbourhood character.
There was enough concern, in fact, that North Vancouver District Council voted to re-engage the public in a discussion about redevelopment options for the Lynn Valley town centre area.
Now we’ve learned that Mark Sager, founding partner of Sager LLP and former mayor of West Vancouver, has been given the mandate to be the sounding board for the residents of Lynn Valley. He’ll gather feedback, engage in conversations, listen to questions and concerns, and help Bosa come up with a new proposal that is in line with what the neighbourhood wants while being economically feasible for the developer.
“I am really, really honoured to be given this opportunity,” he said over a coffee in Delany’s. “Bosa is one of the most respected builders in Western Canada. They’ve said to me ‘Go out, and then tell us what’s the right thing to do here.'”
Nat Bosa, he says, lives on the North Shore. While leasing the old Zellers space to Target might be an easy economic answer, Mark says that Nat wants to build something with more neighbourhood appeal.
Mark and a team of students are inviting local residents to visit them in the mall, where they will be setting up a storefront where the pet store used to be (across from CIBC). From Saturday, May 4 to 25, hours will be Monday to Wednesday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday and Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
You’ll also find them at Lynn Valley Day on Saturday, May 25, and Mark is also hoping to snag some tickets for the virtually sold-out May 24 Gala Dinner.”At the end of the day, we have to do something that makes economic sense,” says Mark. “But Nat is completely open to hearing a range of ideas.”
Mark has introduced himself to the neighbourhood via this letter that was mailed out to 7,000 Lynn Valley homes this week. If you’re not able to pop into the mall, he invites you to email your comments to him at mark[at]sagerllp.com. (We’ll also be sure to post any of his team’s feedback forms or community information here on LynnValleyLife, so keep an eye on our Front Porch blog’s Town Planning section.)
Mark says that since his letter hit the streets, the response has been fantastic. “I’ve had many very thoughtful emails in just the first two days,” he said.
While Mark doesn’t want to give his own opinion regarding the best direction for Lynn Valley’s future development – he’s keeping an open mind as well – he does say that many residents seem to want more of a ‘village centre’ feel than a ‘town centre’ feel, one in keeping with our mountainside location. He’s very familiar with our community, he says, having lots of friends here and a penchant for our YYoga studio, and he knows it’s a place where a great many people choose to raise their families.
Mark himself was born and raised above the family shop in Dundarave, where he says his father planted flowers down the middle of the street. “I grew up always being aware of the things that make a community,” he says. He enjoys the challenge of consensus-building, loves listening, and has a reputation as someone who is patient and thoughtful – all qualities that stood him in good stead when he was the West Van mayor, and will no doubt play a major role in his new post as Lynn Valley town planning confidante!
Every so often, LynnValleyLife likes to take the time to thank our sponsoring realtors, Jim Lanctôt and Kelly Gardiner of RE/MAX Crest. Without their willingness to plunge feet-first into the community project that is LynnValleyLife, we wouldn’t have a website to be writing this upon!
Of course, much of the thanks also goes to you. With all your clicks, your ‘thumbs-ups’ and your participation in our various community campaigns, we have together managed to build a Network of about 1,500 local residents. So when our sponsors call on your help for a client, there’s usually someone out there who can deliver!
When Jim and Kelly are trying to find a particular type of property for a client, pushing out a description on our various news and social media channels almost always elicits some great leads. And when they are trying to find a buyer for one of their current listings, those same contacts and channels help maximize the opportunity for a quick sale.
In fact, Jim and Kelly have sold four properties in this past week alone – and most of them weren’t on the market for more than a day or two!
So thanks to them, and thanks to you, LynnValleyLife.com continues to be a virtual water cooler, around which we can share the news of the neighbourhood. We’ve created some fun community initiatives, such as our Good Neighbour Award and Project Sunflower, and we’ve enjoyed the new friends and neighbours we’ve met along the way. If you’d like help promoting any of your local events or projects, please let us know! We’d love to help you spread the word.
– Peggy Trendell-Jensen, editor
No matter how busy you are, Spot On Services offers the home help you need!
Don’t skip bootcamp because of your kids – bring them!
This is the week that many of our LynnValleyLife Network members are receiving their Project Sunflower seed packets in the mail or on their doorstep (let’s hope those late-season snow flurries won’t be visiting the Upper Lynn area any more!)
